Are there any camping sites near the city?

Calgary is located just 45–90 minutes from the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and surrounded by prairies and canyons on the other side. This makes the city an ideal “home base” for campers of all experience levels. This article contains the most important information about more than 40 sites of various types, from full-service RV parks to wild backcountry campsites in Kananaskis.

Camping areas

Area Travel time from downtown Calgary Landscape type Key campsites Kananaskis Country (Highway 40 / Hwy 66) 45–90 min Mountains, lakes, coniferous forests Bow Valley, Mount Kidd, McLean Creek, Canyon, Interlakes Bow River Valley (Route 1 to Canmore) 60 min River valley, bare rock Bow Valley Campground, Bow River Campground Breg Creek & Elbow Valley (Hwy 66) 45 min Spruce trees, hills, OHV trails McLean Creek, Paddy’s Flat, Beaver Flats Sibbald Flats (Trans-Canada + Hwy 68) 55 min Alpine lakes, meadows Sibbald Lake Campground Private RV parks around town 15–40 min Suburbs, farmland Mountain View Camping, Calaway RV Park, Bow RiversEdge East → Drumheller 90 min Badlands canyons, dinosaur rocks River Grove, Dinosaur PP (nearby)

Provincial driving rules

All Alberta Parks campgrounds must be booked through shop.albertaparks.ca (opens 90 days before arrival date). ​Kananaskis requires a Kananaskis Conservation Pass: $15/car-day or $90/year.

The standard rate for a non-electric site is $31/night; power + water is $47/night. Firewood is sold at most sites; during peak drought, a total ban on fires is announced — check Alberta Fire Bans.

Top 15 campgrounds within a 90 km radius

#Campground Distance km / min 2025 season Number of sites Services Price / night Reservation 1 Bow Valley Campground 85 km / 60 min May 1–Oct 11 173 Power/Water, showers, store $47 Online 2 Mount Kidd (K-Country) 95 km / 70 min All year round 229 15/30/50 A, Wi-Fi, tennis $44–$60 Online

3 McLean Creek PRA 58 km / 45 min 1 Apr–31 Dec 170 96 power, OHV loops C&D $31/39 Online 4 Bow River Campground 80 km / 55 min May 1–Oct 11 66 Power/Water, fishing $47 Online

5 Interlakes (Lower Kananaskis) 130 km / 90 min FCFS* 48 Coastal, no services $31 FCFS 6 Canyon Campground 120 km / 85 min FCFS 50 Forest, near Opal Range $31 FCFS 7 Sibbald Lake 65 km / 50 min May 17–Oct 13 134 Fishing, amphitheater $31 Online 8 Paddy’s Flat 55 km / 45 min May 15–Sept. 30 98 Elbow River, pine trees $31 Online 9 Beaver Flats 60 km / 50 min May 15–Oct. 13 48 River, no electricity $31 FCFS 10 Gooseberry (Bragg Creek) 50 km / 40 min May 1–Oct 7 80 Group sites $31 Online 11 Mountain View Camping 25 km / 20 min Apr 1–Oct 31 180 Full hook-ups, mini golf $55 Phone 12 Calaway RV Park 30 km / 25 min June 9–April 4 104 15/30 A, access to amusement park $50 Online

13 Bow RiversEdge (Cochrane) 30 km / 25 min Year-round 144 Full service, trailers $52 Online 14 Riverbend (Okotoks) 38 km / 30 min Year-round 175 Paddle-lagoon, Wi-Fi $46 Online 15 Wheatland Shores (Stratmore) 60 km / 45 min May 1–October 15 91 Eagle Lake, SUP rentals $40 Online

*FCFS — first come, first served.

Camping formats

1. Full-service RV parks in the inner belt Mountain View Camping (NE Calgary) — 180 sites with full hook-ups, a store, and an 18-hole mini golf course. Calaway RV Park near the amusement park of the same name: great for families with children — discounted park admission.

Bow RiversEdge in Cochrane — 144 sites, access to bike trails along the river. Pros: paved access roads, laundry facilities, Wi-Fi, showers — “city” comforts 20–30 minutes from home.

2. Mountain frontcountry and service provincial campgrounds Bow Valley Campground — the most fully equipped campground in Canmore: showers, store, showrunner programs, 2 playgrounds.

McLean Creek — the only place within 45 km where you can legally arrive with an OHV/ATV and drive straight from your tent onto the trail. Mount Kidd — 229 sites under huge fir trees, with a golf club and indoor pool nearby; reservations 90 days in advance.

Life hack: if all the reserved sites are sold out, arrive at 7:30 a.m. on the day of arrival — a large portion of no-shows open up for FCFS after 11:00 a.m.

3. Wild lake shores — campgrounds without services Interlakes — 48 sites on the shore of Lower Kananaskis Lake; half of them are literally “with their feet in the water.” Canyon — viewing platforms on the Opal Range rock formation; 50 sites among pine trees.

Beaver Flats — a footbridge on an island in the Elbow River, where children spend all day catching minnows with their hands.

4. Backcountry (hiking/canoeing) Route Distance/elevation Sites Water Fee Special features Elbow Lake Backcountry 1.3 km / 90 m 15 Lake $12/person Ideal for a “first night” with school kids Jewell Bay (Barrier Lake) 3.9 km / 30 m 12 Lake $12/person Accessible by canoe from the dam

The Point (Upp. Kananaskis) 3.4 km / 50 m 20 Lake $12 View of Mt. Sarrail, demand — book in seconds Don't forget: bear bags are mandatory; Alberta Parks fines $400 for baiting wildlife with food.

5. Group campsites for weddings and team building Gooseberry Group Camp (Bragg Creek) — a pavilion for 150 people, electricity, music stage. Kananaskis Lower Lakes Group A/B — space for 25 tents, private beach, and wood shed.

Seasonality and weather

Month Average daytime temperature Number of rainy days Special features May +15 °C 9 Snow still lies in the shade; few mosquitoes June +19 °C 13 The wettest month; river flooding, cold water July +23 °C 10 Warm, peak tourist season; book in seconds August +22 °C 8 Perfect balance of weather and site availability September +17 °C 6 Yellow larch trees, 0 °C at night; FCFS easy October +10 °C 5 Only McLean Creek and Mount Kidd are open

Booking recommendations

At 9:00 a.m. MST, Alberta Parks opens the +90 day date — log in 10 minutes before and keep several tabs open. The “B-Loop waterfront” sites in Interlakes and ‘Riverside’ in Bow Valley disappear in less than 15 seconds. Parks Canada (Banff) opens seasonal reservations in January; Tunnel Mountain I and II are the fastest to “sell out.”

Safety and etiquette tips

Store food in metal bear-proof cabinets/cars — the penalty for negligence is $400. ​The Wildlife Alert SMS service is available in Kananaskis (text “JOIN” to 74100).

Filter water from lakes — giardia is common in warm months. Follow the Leave No Trace rules: pack your trash back to the city.

Ideas for themed weekends

“Easy Start” (Friday → Sunday) Friday 5:00 p.m. — arrive at McLean Creek (B-Loop non-OHV) 45 minutes from the city. Saturday morning — hike on the Fullerton Loop (7 km), lunch — SUP on McLean Pond. Sunday — drive home via Bragg Creek for coffee + pastries.

“Mountain Lake and Stars” Day 1 — departure at 6:00 a.m., FCFS chat at Interlakes; set up camp near the water. Day 2 — kayaking on the lake, hike to Ptarmigan Cirque (15 km from the camp).

Night 2 — Astronomy: dark skies in K-Country ISO 20, Bortle 3.

Gear checklist for CC (Kananaskis Country)

At all altitudes >1,400 m, the temperature drops to +2 °C at night even in July — sleeping bag comfort rating 0 °C. Bear spray — mandatory; keep <3 seconds away. Wind tent — gusts of 70 km/h near lakes (Eau Claire).

Sawyer filter or Aquatabs tablets — ice-cold streams are clear but not sterile.

Accessibility and inclusion

Bow River Campground has universal showers and paved paths to 30 power-site loops — suitable for wheelchair travelers. McLean Creek has launched four sites with concrete pads and lift tables for campers with 0/1 mobility. Alberta Parks issues a free Accessible Camping Permit for AISH holders.

Conclusion

There are over 2,000 frontcountry sites and nearly 50 backcountry sites within a 90-kilometer radius of Calgary. Canadaski offers mountain panoramas and tranquil lakes, Elbow Valley offers the scent of fir trees and singing streams, and private RV parks offer hot showers and Wi-Fi. Decide on the level of service you want, book popular dates in advance, purchase a K-Pass, practice bear hygiene, and Alberta's nature will reward you with views that will be more memorable than any photo.